According to conventional procedures, pothole patching and roadway surface repair is carried out manually from the back of a dump truck or vehicle bin. It is necessary that the workers climb up and down on the truck or other vehicle and walk around on the roadway in the presence of vehicle traffic. The pothole patching and roadway repair material is typically shoveled, dispensed and tamped manually, though perhaps a separate steam roller may be available for packing the material.
A disadvantage of the current methods is that workers are subjected to safety hazards during movement on and off the truck and over the roadway surface. Furthermore, the manually handling of the cold patch, hot patch, or other patching and repair material results in uneven distribution and packing.